Why Longnan
Situated in the southeastern portion of Gansu Province, Longnan is a prefecture-level city whose name translates to south of Mount Long. Acting as a gateway between Gansu and China's northwestern and southern regions, it shares borders with Sichuan to the south and Shaanxi to the east. The overall prefecture spans 27,000 square kilometers and accommodates over 2.4 million residents, with the Wudu District forming its main built-up urban center.
The regional landscape features diverse geographical environments, encompassing the Qinba Mountains to the east, the Loess Plateau toward the north, and the Tibetan Plateau along the west. Elevations vary significantly across the territory, ranging from 800 to 4,200 meters above sea level. Waterways are abundant, with more than 3,800 streams and creeks feeding into three principal rivers: the Bailong, Baishui, and Jialing. These diverse terrains support rich biological resources, including over 1,300 species of trees and shrubs, numerous medicinal plants, roughly 100 wild fruit and berry species, and 300 protected animal species.
Longnan features a temperate, semi-arid climate influenced by monsoons, characterized by cool, exceptionally dry winters and warm, moderately humid summers. Positioned in a sheltered valley in southern Gansu, it stands as one of the warmer locations in the province, recording average annual temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. Annual rainfall ranges from 400 to 1,000 millimeters, with roughly two-thirds falling between June and September. Sunshine totals approximately 1,850 hours per year, and the area benefits from 160 to 280 frost-free days annually.
Human activity in the area spans at least 7,000 years, with early settlements emerging along the Xihan and Bailong rivers. Historically significant as the homeland of the Rong tribes and the House of Ying, Longnan played a pivotal role in the rise of the Qin Dynasty, which unified China. Remnants of this rich history persist through ancient ruins at Lixian and Anping, alongside widespread discoveries of Qin-era pottery, bronzes, and coinage. Over subsequent centuries, the area was governed by various Qiang kingdoms and several imperial Chinese dynasties, including the Sui, Tang, Song, and Ming, and was known as Jie Prefecture during imperial administration.
The local economy is anchored by agriculture and natural resource extraction. Key farm goods encompass grains, vegetables, Chinese medicinal herbs, vegetable oils, berries, fruits, and nuts, while regional mining extracts gold, copper, lead, zinc, coal, and petroleum. Travel to and within the region is facilitated by the Longnan Chengxian Airport, major highways including China National Highway 212 and the G75 Lanzhou–Haikou Expressway, and rail infrastructure such as the Chongqing–Lanzhou line and stations on the Baoji–Chengdu railway.
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